The United Steelworkers (USW) is urging Congress vigorously to oppose the
free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama, and Colombia because
economic facts show the deals will “undermine our economic recovery, further
decimate American manufacturing and jobs, and deepen the economic
insecurity.”

In a letter sent on Tuesday to each member of Congress, USW International
President Leo Gerard wrote, “International trade and the consequences of
accelerated globalization are matters of long-standing and deep concern to
the USW, as an overwhelming portion of our members work in import-sensitive
manufacturing sectors and all too often have lost their jobs due to bad
trade deals and unfair and predatory trade practices.”

“Promises made by administrations past and present touting the benefits of
free trade have simply not materialized for America’s manufacturing
workers,” Gerard added, then called the nation’s trade deficit every bit as
dangerous as the federal budget deficit, “fueled by trade deals that grease
the path for greater and greater outsourcing and offshoring of jobs and
capacity.”

Gerard said that trade deals during the past decade have caused the U.S. to
lose 6 million manufacturing jobs and 55,000 plants, explained that
multinational companies easily set up operations overseas and export back to
the U.S. market, and cited new Commerce Department data which show American
multinational companies have cut their U.S. work forces by 2.9 million
during the past decade, while increasing employment overseas by 2.4 million.

“Trade deals force working Americans to assume all the risk and encourage
big multinationals to reap all the rewards,” Gerard stated.

The union’s letter to Congress itemized key flaws based on analysis of each
proposed FTA. Final provisions in the U.S./Korea trade agreement were
identified that will allow for an imported vehicle to be eligible for
duty-free treatment with only 35 percent of the content by value. The USW
says a Korean vehicle could have almost two-thirds of its content by value
coming from another country like China, while giving discretion on three
different methods to calculate content.

The U.S./Korea FTA “will accelerate the offshoring and outsourcing of auto
parts production, jeopardizing not only the jobs of the 350,000 Steelworkers
that make products that can be used in the auto supply chain, but those of
other workers across the country.”

Criticizing the Colombia FTA “puts in jeopardy America’s moral leadership by
sacrificing the lives and livelihoods, the worker and human rights of the
Colombian people at the altar of free trade,” the letter stated. A 2011
world survey of anti-union violence by the International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC) based in Brussels was cited by the USW for reporting
Colombia continues “o maintain the lead in a grim record of murder and
repression of workers involved in trade union activities.”

“Moreover, the Colombian government continues to fail miserably at
effectively prosecuting those responsible for anti-union violence,” Gerard
stated, then noted that impunity for anti-union killings and violence should
not rewarded with a trade agreement.